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qwerty wrote:Usually, when I brake normally I use only the index and middle fingers, and the brake lever catches between the first and second knuckles.

Interesting thought from myself: I'm going to move up to bike this year sometime (after three year of riding a 50 cc scooter). My technique is to throttle with thumb and index/middle finger, with the pinkie/ring finger on the brake. This is a holdover from riding a mountain bike for many years, and having to shift gears with teh right hand while braking with the front brake.

D'ya think this holdover is going to present a problem adjusting to a real bike? (I'm taking a course sometime this spring.)

Media Weasel wrote:

qwerty wrote:Usually, when I brake normally I use only the index and middle fingers, and the brake lever catches between the first and second knuckles.

Interesting thought from myself: I'm going to move up to bike this year sometime (after three year of riding a 50 cc scooter). My technique is to throttle with thumb and index/middle finger, with the pinkie/ring finger on the brake. This is a holdover from riding a mountain bike for many years, and having to shift gears with teh right hand while braking with the front brake.

D'ya think this holdover is going to present a problem adjusting to a real bike? (I'm taking a course sometime this spring.)

Most bikes you won't be able to do that with, just because the levers are further out and take more strength to pull in than a pinkie finger can exert. I used to ride mountain bikes all the time, so yeah, I used that technique too. What I do is keep my middle and ring fingers on the front brake while using the index and thumb to slightly rev until it catches, then let go of the brake, increase throttle, and let off the clutch.
Wrider

Media Weasel wrote:This is a holdover from riding a mountain bike for many years, and having to shift gears with teh right hand while braking with the front brake.

D'ya think this holdover is going to present a problem adjusting to a real bike? (I'm taking a course sometime this spring.)

I've ridden bicycles all my life. BMX bikes. BMX freestyle. Mountian bikes. I've never stopped since I was about 7 years old.

With more than 25 years of bicycle-riding under my belt, I can safely say - NEVER EVER ASSUME ANYTHING YOU DO ON A BICYCLE WILL TRANSLATE TO A MOTORCYCLE!

I thought the exact same thing when I began to learn to ride a motorcycle - that bicycling might translate and be helpful. I was wrong. Remember - the physics involved in tossing around a 30lb. bicycle that moves with pedal power is COMPLETELY different than moving a 400lb. motorcycle that has dozens and dozens of horsepower with the flick of a wrist.

Bicycles and motorcycles are the same when going in a straight line at about 5 to 25 miles per hour. That's it. Otherwise, there isn't much that's similar. (I'm exaggerating, of course, but seriously, the physics are WAY different in many, many ways.)

Funny comp about riding bikes and bicycles - immediately after getting home from riding on the bike, I hopped on my bicycle to tootle in the street for a few minutes.....It was a disaster. I looked like a drunken circus monkey.

Anyways, you can ride both types of two-wheels really well, but the feel of each doesn't really transfer completely to each other.

+1 Im glad you two brought it up, I also had the same experiences when transfering from a motorcycle to a bike. I rode the bicycle alot different than usual.

I'm very glad for this thread, although I still seem to be having some issues starting on a steep incline. I always stop with my right foot on the rear brake and I have no trouble starting when I'm going down a hill or if the incline is less than maybe 30-35 degrees. I'm sure some of it is mental, I was worried about starting on hills when I learned to drive stick, but that seemed much easier to learn for some reason.

Someone posted about where the tachometer should be for this, which sounds great except my bike doesnt have a tachometer. It only tells me how fast I'm going and I have to ride it by ear. I drive my car(manual transmission) by ear, so this isn't a hard thing to do. I'm up to 45 miles on my bike now, so I probably just need a lot more practice, but this is the big thing keeping me from starting to commute via motorcycle rather than car. There are a few big hills on the way to work and I dont want to stall in traffic. I doubt anyone can post anything else here to help, because you all have been very helpful, but who knows. Also, there might be someone else out there in the same boat, so maybe they'll find comfort in reading my issues with stalling on a hill. I had it happen a few times on saturday and once on sunday.

teabgs wrote:I'm very glad for this thread, although I still seem to be having some issues starting on a steep incline. I always stop with my right foot on the rear brake and I have no trouble starting when I'm going down a hill or if the incline is less than maybe 30-35 degrees. I'm sure some of it is mental, I was worried about starting on hills when I learned to drive stick, but that seemed much easier to learn for some reason.

Someone posted about where the tachometer should be for this, which sounds great except my bike doesnt have a tachometer. It only tells me how fast I'm going and I have to ride it by ear. I drive my car(manual transmission) by ear, so this isn't a hard thing to do. I'm up to 45 miles on my bike now, so I probably just need a lot more practice, but this is the big thing keeping me from starting to commute via motorcycle rather than car. There are a few big hills on the way to work and I dont want to stall in traffic. I doubt anyone can post anything else here to help, because you all have been very helpful, but who knows. Also, there might be someone else out there in the same boat, so maybe they'll find comfort in reading my issues with stalling on a hill. I had it happen a few times on saturday and once on sunday.

So just gun it and drop the clutch! Honestly, though... I do what Kal says and it works great for me! Eventually you'll learn where to keep the RPMs and how to release the clutch. My bike doesn't have a tach either, plus my first car was a '92 Isuzu pickup, no tach, 5 speed auto, 4 cylinder putting out less than 120 horsepower...
Wrider

pedal power wrote:Okay, so I've passed my MSF, got a new to me GS500E, and finished getting a set of riding gear. So while I wait for PENNDOT to register the bike I figure I'll ask if there are any tips for:

1. Starting / stopping on hills.

The answers clearly resound with : rear brake, slight throttle, friction zone, gas and go. But I was taught to hold the rear at all stops. I know that this won't happen ALL the time in our day to day rides, but it served good purposes.

One: if rear ended in traffic at slow speeds, it keeps the bike with the FRONT wheel able to roll, and the REAR on the ground.

Two: it helps you practice the hillstart whether you know it or not.

Does the MSF not tell you to do this? This was a UK Direct Access set of lessons by a BRC approved company that told me this.

Sevulturus wrote:

Flting Duck wrote:Starting on uphill: Stop the bike and, leaning to the left just a little and supporting you bike with your left leg, use your right foot to hold the bike in place with the rear brake. Apply throttle slowly while realeasing the clutch until it starts to engage.

As a newbie, I wouldn't advise you to try to operate the throttle and brake at the same time while starting on a hill.

It's a good idea to start practicing on slight hills, then pratice on steeper hills.

This is right.

MotoF150 wrote:starting on hills is no problem, one finger on the front brake lever should hold the bike till you pull out

This is wrong, and stupid as it impedes your ability to roll on the throttle. And if you release the front brake then you roll backwards until your engine is putting enough power to pavement to get you moving forwards.

Ideally when starting on a hill you will keep pressure on the rear brake with your right leg while you roll on the gas smoothly and gently let out the clutch. As you reach the friction point you will feel the bike gently tug forwards. And just like you would when you're starting regularly you let out the clutch and increase the engine revs. But when the bike starts to pull forward a bit you let off the rear brake (right foot) smoothly.

I am sorry but I agree with moto150 for once. I use the front brake because its a hell of alot easier to take off with 2 feet on the ground than 1. Notice he said keep 1 finger, I use 2, on the front brake. I have no trouble whatsoever doing it this way rolling on the throttle and letting clutch go and have yet to stall a bike on an uphill stop. with someone coming up behind you and hits your rear tire your not going to fall over like you would if you only had your left foot down. THen again if your paying attention they wont hit you.

*edit just read some more of this thread. IMO it doesnt impede yoru ability to roll on the throttle but I never tried to stand on one foot with right foot on brake. To me it seems more dangerous and harder to do than using the front brake because if a vehicle hits you from behind your going down whereas using the front brake you have a better chance of staying upright esp if your paying attention to whats coming up behind you not jsut traffic in front and to your sides. meaning I feel safer and more confident using the front brake than the rear brake.